Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S 5416, Asa French, Mass.

SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass.
French, Asa
S 5416.
Carded.
CONTENTS

15.810
Massachusetts Dea French
of Norfolk in the State of Massachusetts who was a private in the Company commanded by Captain Pool of the Regt: commanded by Col: Orane in the Mass: militia line for 9 mos 17 ds. Inf. Memo. Art: 7.
Entered
Inscribed on the Roll of Massachusetts at the rate of 56 Dollars 87 Cents per annum to commence on the 14th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 29 day of July 1833 and sent to E. J. Leland Roxbury
Arrears to the 14th of March 1833 $113.74 Semestral allowance ending Sept. 28.43
$142.17
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by W. L. Williams Clerk, Book E Vol. 2 Page 25
15 Norfolk

7083
Asa French
Paid 9 Int 9 1/2 17 1/2
on 9 Int 6
15 17 1/2
14 06
Apr 5 1893
337
30.
1.87
25
56.87
E. S. Leland &
Roxbury
Mass

7083  BRIEF in the case of  Asa French  County of Norfolk  in the State of  Massachusetts  (Act 7th June, 1832.)
 1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? Court  2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?  3. How old is he? 71  4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed. 
   Period. Duration of Service. Rank. Names of General and Field Officers under whom he served.   Years, Months, Days.     Vol. In 1777 March 4 private Gen. Capt. J. Pool   " 1778 April 1 19 do. Capt. J. Wood   " 1780 July 6 do. Capt. S. Lill, Col. Crane,   " 1778 3 28 do. Genl. Hovey, Capt. J. Lincoln.   17  
 5. In what battles was he engaged? none  6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Weymouth  7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Documentary, & traditionary and witnesses  8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? Correct 
I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
J. Waugh Examining Clerk. Jan. 25, 1833.

Asa French
Edwin O Leland

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
County of Norfolk ss. On this seventeenth day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two, personally appeared in open court before the Honorable Judge of the Court of Probate now sitting at Quincy in and for said County, Oliver French a resident of Dymouth in said County, aged ninety one years , who being first duly sworn, according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7th A. D. 1832.
THAT he was born at Dymouth in said county on the seventeenth day of March A. D. 1761, and that there is a record of his birth on the records of the Second Church that he was in the United States service from the month day of March A. D. 1777, to the month day of July A. D. 1777 four months as a Soldier in the Massachusetts Militia : that he was residing at Dymouth aforesaid when he entered the service ; that he was a Volunteer and served for the period aforesaid under the command of Capt. Joseph Pool : that he marched from Dymouth to Hull , from _____ to _____ from _____ to _____ : that he served at Hull with none of the regular troops ; and no regular officers were known to him : that he was in no battle and at the end of his service received no written discharge : that since the Revolutionary war he has resided at said Dymouth
ALSO : that he was in the United States service from the month day of April A. D. 1778, to the month day of August A. D. 1778 four months as a Soldier in the Massachusetts Militia : that he was residing at Dymouth aforesaid when he entered the service ; that he was a Volunteer and served for the period aforesaid under the command of Capt. Samuel Ward
: that he marched from Dymouth to Dorchester , from _____ to _____ from _____ to _____ : that he served at Dorchester , Boston with none of the regular troops ; and no regular officers were known to him : that he was in no battle and at the end of his service received no written discharge.
ALSO : that he was in the United States service from the month day of July A. D. 1780, to the month day of January A. D. 1781 seven months as a Soldier in the U. States Artillery : that he was residing at Dymouth aforesaid when he entered the service ; that he was a Volunteer and served for the period aforesaid under the command of Capt. John Lilly in Col. J. Francis Regiment under Genl. Howe's command of the Grand Park : that he marched from Boston to New York , from _____ to _____ from _____ to _____ : that he served at New Jersey with the Troops under Genl. Howe , some of the regular troops ; and some regular officers were known to him : that he was in no battle and at the end of his service received no written discharge.

Also in the year 1781 I served three months and twenty-eight days in Capt John Lincoln's company, as officer by the certificate of the Secretary of the Commonwealth which is the only documentary evidence that he has been able to find.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State.
Sworn to and Subscribed the day and year first aforesaid.
Asa French
We Josiah Bent Jr  of Weymouth aforesaid
a clergyman, residing in the Town of
and Samuel Humphrey  one of the clergymen of Weymouth residing in Weymouth aforesaid hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Asa French who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be seventy one years of age; that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood, where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution, and that we concur in that opinion.
Sworn and subscribed as aforesaid.
Josiah Bent Jr
Samuel Humphrey
And the said court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department, that the abovenamed applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states. And the court further certify that it appears to them that Josiah Bent Jr , who has signed the preceding certificate, is a clergyman, resident in the said Weymouth; and that Samuel Humphrey who has also signed the same is a resident in said Weymouth and is a credible person; and that their statement is entitled to credit.
Sherman Selawey Judge of Probate
I Samuel Haven, Reg d of the Court of Probate aforesaid, do hereby certify
that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of Asa French for a pension.
In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand and seal of office on the day and year first aforesaid.
Samuel Haven

I Job North of Weymouth in the county of Dorset. aged seventy six years, testify and say that also French within named was a soldier in the United States service in the war of the Revolution, and to my knowledge served as a soldier in said service during the first period of time within mentioned, as he has therein stated. Job North Dorset ss August 17 th 1832. Subscribed & sworn to
Before S. Leland Judge of Probate I further certify that said Job North is a credible witness S. Leland Probate
I Joseph North of Weymouth in the county of Dorset. aged seventy one years, testify and say that also French within named was a soldier in the United States service in the war of the Revolution, and to my knowledge served as a soldier in said service during the second period of service within mentioned as he has therein stated. Joseph North Dorset ss August 17 th 1832. Subscribed & sworn to
Before S. Leland Judge of Probate I further certify that said Joseph North is a credible witness S. Leland Probate
I Joseph North of Weymouth in the county of Dorset. aged seventy one years, testify and say that also French within named was a soldier in the United States service in the war of the Revolution, and to my knowledge served as a soldier in said service during the third period of time within mentioned as he has therein stated. Joseph North Dorset ss August 17 th 1832. Subscribed & sworn to
Before S. Leland Judge of Probate I further certify that said Joseph North is a credible witness S. Leland Probate

Reborn
5416
INVALID.
✓
File No. 5416
Miss Mireach
Sergeant Major
Act: June 1st 1832
Index:—Vol. M , Page 132
[Arrangement of 1870.]

Isa French

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Secretary's Office, Aug t 6 1832.
I hereby Certify, That, from an examination of the Books and Documents, relating to Military Services in the War of the Revolution, which remain in this Department, it appears that the name of Asa French is borne on a Roll of "Capt Samuel Ward's Company in Lieut. Col. Lyman's detachment of guards doing duty in Boston and Dorchester"; and is therein stated to have served one month & nineteen days from March 9. 1778 - Also on a Roll of Capt. John Lincoln's Company, in Col. Joseph Webb's Regiment - and is therein stated to have served three months and twenty eight days commencing August 16. 1781.
Edward D. Bangs. Secy
2.19 3.28 5.17

7083
Ana French
E. J. Leland E Roxbury Mass

BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims , of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Asa French which require further proof or explanation.
I. Does the declaration show where the applicant resides? yes II. Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides? yes III. If the applicant did not make the declaration in the county where he resides, is there any reason assigned for his not doing so? IV. Has the declarant mentioned the period or periods of the war when he served? yes V. * Has he mentioned with precision the length of his service, and the different grades in which he served, in language so definite as to enable the department to determine to what amount of pension he is entitled? yes VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations? yes VII. Has he made a relinquishment of every claim to any other pension than the one under the Act of June 7, 1832? yes VIII. Has the Court given their opinion? yes IX. Has the Clerk given his certificate? yes X. Is the Clerk's seal affixed? And if so, has it a device or inscription by which it can be distinguished from any other seal? yes

XI. Has the applicant obtained the evidence of a clergyman and another respectable citizen as to their belief respecting his age and the general belief in his neighborhood relative to his revolutionary service? yes
XII. If the clergyman's affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it?
XIII. If the applicant has no documentary evidence, and has not obtained the testimony of at least one living witness, has he stated in his declaration that such proof cannot be had?
XIV. †If the applicant's name is not found on the rolls of military service, has he produced a witness or witnesses as to his service? yes
If he has produced direct proof as to service, has the magistrate who administered the oath, certified to the credibility of the witness or witnesses? No
Has the proper officer certified to the official character and signature of the magistrate as the regulations direct? yes
XV. Does it appear from any of the papers that the witness was in such a situation, or of such an age, as to have a personal knowledge of the applicant's service? yes
XVI. ‡Are the papers authenticated as the regulations direct? yes
XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them is not so answered? 7.
EXPLANATORY NOTES.
* QUERE V. In a case where the applicant cannot, by reason of the loss of memory, state precisely how long he served, he should amend his declaration by making an affidavit in the following words:
"Personally appeared before me, the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace, &c. A. B. who, being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that, by reason of old age, and the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service, but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than the periods mentioned below, and in the following grades; For _____ year _____ months, and _____ days, I served as a _____ For _____ months and _____ days, I served as a _____; and for such service I claim a pension."

It is important in all cases to determine with precision the period for which each applicant served, and the particular rank he held, as the law directs the pension to be paid according to the grade of the pensioner and the length of his service. The use of the phrase about three or four months is too indefinite, and all such qualifying expressions are objectionable. Some persons who apply for pensions merely state they served two years in the militia, &c. without specifying the tours; the names of the officers, and other particulars respecting their service. This form of a declaration is highly objectionable. It must in every case be clearly shewn under what officers the applicant served; the duration of each term of engagement; the particular place or places where the service was performed; that the applicant served with an embodied corps called into service by competent authority; that he was either in the field or in garrison; and for the time during which the service was performed, he was not employed in any civil pursuit.
†QUERE XIV. Proof of Service.
In a case where the name of the applicant is not found on the records of the Department, he must prove his service by two credible witnesses, who are required to set forth in their affidavits the time of the claimants entering the service, and the time and manner of his leaving the same, as well as the regiment, company, and line to which he belonged. The magistrate who may administer the oaths must certify to the credibility of the witnesses, and the official character and signature of the magistrate must be certified by the proper officer, under his seal of office.
‡QUERE XVI. Mode of authenticating papers.
In every instance where the certificate of the certifying officer who authenticates the papers is not written on the same sheet of paper which contains the affidavit, or other paper authenticated, the certificate must be attached thereto by a piece of tape or narrow ribbon, the ends of which must pass under the seal of office of the certifying officer, so as to prevent any paper from being improperly attached to the certificate.
¶ In every case where the clerk of the court, or other certifying officer, has no public seal of office, the certificate of a member of congress, proving the official character and signature of the certifying officer, should accompany the papers.